Come with me on a budget!

The Night in a Pod 🏕️

About three weeks ago I was on a mission to get a perfect and affordable place within Nairobi. While randomly viewing some stories on Instagram I found the perfect place; Nkasiri Adventure Park! It ticked all the boxes; Unique✅, Deep in nature✅, Affordable✅ and had Good reviews✅. I quickly called the facility but unfortunately found that it was fully booked for the weekend we wished to visit. Before you ask, yes, that is how amazing the place is😍.

I quickly checked for another free weekend and booked in advance because I didn’t want to risk! Because I had a lovely experience, today I will share with you my experience staying in a camping pod at Nkasiri Adventure Park 🤩.

Getting there

The Nkasiri Adventure Park is located in Kitengela – Kajiado County.

If using public transport, you will board a matatu to Kitengela at the stage right outside Easy Coach in town. The buses plying this route are called Rembo Shuttle and the ride will cost you 50/- to 150/- pp depending on the time you leave⏰. You will alight at the final stage, Kitengela town, and at this stage board a Tuktuk to Ola Petrol Station. This ride should cost you 40/- pp. At Ola, take a boda boda to Nkasiri. This will cost you 200/- pp or 300/- for two people. Because of how dusty the road is, carry a leso or cap to cover your hair with 📝.

If using private means, just type in Nkasiri Adventure Park on Google maps and you will be led to the facility. The directions are pretty accurate and the road is also well marked📍.

The Facility

Right from the gate you will get to experience the serenity of Nkasiri🤩. From the well manicured grounds, beautiful structures and expansive challenge area you will instantly feel at home. Because I don’t want to bore you with many words, let’s explore Nkasiri👯👯

The first thing that will catch your eye at the gate is this high rope challenge + zipline area.

The next thing would be the sitting areas splattered around the lounging area leading to the reception/ hotel and bar area.

The bar and restaurant area🤩🤩. I love the seats and tables in particular 🤠

This whole building houses the facilities washrooms which are ever clean and well equiped. I loved that they have provided washroom for both genders and also for the little ones seperately!

Past the washroom building is another big green space where you can seat and enjoy a meal while enjoying the views outside. From the pictures, you can see that the space provides an ideal space for group meals. This space also hosts the fireplace section.

There also are these two Swinging seats that are perfect for reading or listening to a podcast as you take in the morning sun🌞🌞

Accomodation

Nkasiri have 3 main accomodation options which are the (1) 10 camping pods (2) Normal tents and (3) an option to carry and pitch your tents at the facility 📝. Because we slept in the pods, I will share that with you.

Some of the amenities provided in the pods. I really liked that they did provide toothbrushes and toothpaste✅

The outdoor shower 🚿 was a fav! The water that flows is cold but you can request for hot water from the kitchen 📝.

Accomodation prices

For something as unique as the camping pod, the Nkasiri accomodation prices are quite fair in my opinion. For 4000/- you get to enjoy bed and breakfast for two.

Here is what to expect for breakfast🤤. It was all very tasty😋😋

And here is the accomodation pricelist 📝

To book your stay at Nkasiri Adventure Park you can reach the property on WhatsApp, call or text via 0791223344.

Meals & Drinks

First thing I have to do is send compliments to the chef! Every single thing I tasted while at Nkasiri was very tasty😋. The food and drinks are also fairly priced so that’s a win.

Other than the meals and drinks available at their restaurant, you are allowed to carry drinking water, soft drinks and some snacks to the property. This can help you cut some costs incase you are on a tighter budget📝.

We had the beef dry fry, chips and saute for dinner and it was exquisite 👌👌

Also, here is the food menu. I forgot to take a photo of the drinks menu. However, a bottle of beer and a glass of wine goes for 250/- each.

There is so so much more to write about Nkasiri, but because I’ve already written and shown so much today, I’ll see you in two weeks as I share with you all the outdoor activities available at Nkasiri 💃. In the meantime, I hope that you have fallen in love with this place as much as I did and that you are looking forward to spending a night in a pod😎.

Thank you for reading ❤️ and see you soon💃.

Nairobi Burger week – 2021🍔

Hey you🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget family❤️.

My first encounter with burger was in 2016. A year or so after joining campus and having a taste of life in Nairobae🤣. One mistake I however made while choosing my first restaurant was choosing the amazing Urban Burger😍. If you have been to the place you know that once you go the Urban Burger way you can only go better after that. This week, between 26th February and 7th March, you and I can get a chance to go better courtesy of Nairobi Burger week(NBW)💃.

During this NBW, 150 plus restaurants within Nairobi are offering a Buy one Get one free offer on all the burgers listed/ available on their menus. The NBW is proudly organized by Eat out Kenya; a page that simply describes itself by the words ‘We love restaurants’!

Because I’m certain you are now ready to explore your options, here is a link listing all the restaurant participating in NBW-2021: https://eatout.co.ke/nairobi-burger-week

As we sign off, has anyone of you been to any of the restaurant listed above? If yes, kindly drop a comment below and let us know your experience 📩. You might be the reason someone experiences some yumminess in their tummy😋😋.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we explore a beautiful hidden gem in the outskirts of Nairobae😍. Thank you for reading ❤️ and see you soon 💃💃.

Lets Drift : Hiking on a budget 🧗🤸

Hey you🤩🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget family❤️.

One of the things I’ve heard and seen many people mentioning is how much weight they have gained during this Covid season 🙈. For some this has been a good thing while others not so much. As for me, it all started as a good thing that slowly got out of hand🤣. In a bid to stay active and healthy I started looking for affordable and fun exercise options.

This search led me to the Lets Drift instagram page. Lets Drift is a community of Adventurous Guys who organize adventure experiences around Nairobi and neighboring places. This adventures include hikes, hikeathons, road trips and walks. The drifts organized by Lets drift are very unique and often located in places where you could never imagine such beauty existed😍.

Because I thoroughly enjoyed my drifts in January, today I will share with you how you can join the Lets Drift family 👯.

Why Lets Drift

After a brutal hike earlier in December, I vowed not to subscribe because I suffered during that hike😫. However, after mentioning this to Rheen Ruby she assured me that I would totally enjoy Lets Drift since they have drifts specially curated for beginners. I came to find that this is true and definitely one of ways they promote inclusivity.

Enjoying the views at Nachu😍. We bodied approximately 14.5kms during this hike 😎😎

The Lets Drift subscription model

Other than the provision for beginner and intermediate friendly drifts the Lets Drift subscription model is another major plus to joining the Lets Drift family.

For Kes. 1000 you are able to access an unlimited number of freemiums. Freemiums are drifts where you commute using public transport as a group and hardly incur any other costs. Considering that there is a freemium atleast twice a week, this means you can go for 8 drifts a month👯. Won’t you be able to achieve your fitness goals walking approximately 20kms a week?? I bet you will 🤠

Drift days

Lets Drift organizes group drifts every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 📝. As hinted on earlier, the drifts include hikes, walk × yoga, art therapy, sundowner experiences and a Ngong double challenge.

There also are premium drifts that involve drifts outside Nairobi and a provision for private drifts.

One thing I can certainly say is that with Lets Drift there is something for everyone 🙂. For more details on the subscription and drift options available, click HERE.

Because I have shared with you all the important details, let us quickly wrap up the blog with some of January’s views🤗.

Can you believe that Nairobi holds all this under-explored beauty and serenity?🙌

Are you now motivated to get your work out gear on and chase health while having fun? If yes, then visit the Lets Drift website to learn more! If no, then check out more of what Lets Drift does on their IG page here. I’m certain you will have a change of heart😉.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we explore a hidden gem in Nairobae. Thank you for reading❤️ and see you soon💃.

Vasco Da Gama – Malindi🏝️

Hey you🤩🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget family❤️.

While planning for this trip, Vasco Da Gama was no where on my list because like many of you I had already visited during one of the school trips to Coast. However, our guide Gatheru mentioned that it would be best to visit because other than the pillar, the ticket gives you access to the 4 sections that collectively make up Malindi National Museum of Kenya. This I didn’t know!

Thanks to Gatheru, today we are going to explore Vasco Da Gama in beautiful Malindi🏝️.

Entry fees

The entry fees to the national museum is Ksh 100 for Kenyan adults💰. As mentioned earlier, this ticket will grant you access to the 4 sections of Malindi National Museum. These sections are; The Vasco Da Gama pillar, The Portuguese Chapel, The House of Columns and the Malindi Museum📝.

Because you will use one receipt for all the places, kindly keep it safe to avoid losing it because then you will have to pay the entry fee again!

Now that we know how much it will cost us to explore this historic site, let us get right into exploring!

The Vasco Da Gama pillar

The Vasco Da Gama pillar was built in 1498 by a Portuguese man named Vasco Da Gama. He was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India and he built this pillar to give other sailors a direction of the sea route to India.

Due to the ocean tides, the pillar was recently renovated with boulders to ensure that the strong water waves don’t bring it down. Let us take a walk to the pillar🚶.

Some of the views from the gate to the now cemented path leading to the Pillar.

And some bonus pictures because why not 🙈😉

The Portuguese Chapel

When Vasco Da Gama first arrived in Kenya, he planned on settling in Mombasa but the Mombasa Sheikh was hostile towards him and his team. Because of this, he and his team set out to Malindi where they were welcomed by the Malindi Sheikh who was in rivalry with the Mombasa Sheikh🤭.

Considering that Malindi Old Town was predominantly Muslim, Vasco Da Gama and his team had nowhere to worship. Together with his team they built this Portuguese Chapel which is also the oldest Chapel in East Africa😎. 36 foreign sailors and Malindi pioneers are also buried in the Chapel’s compound.

The Oldest Chapel in East Africa🤩. It has undergone renovation to preserve it longer but the structure and interior are from the time it was constructed!

And this opening on the wall that our guide says was used to check for enemies coming to attack the Christians in the church. In the instance that enemies did show up, here is where gunshots would be aimed from.

The Malindi Museum

The Malindi Museum, as any other museum, highlights and preserves the culture of the ancient Malindi residents. From transport vessels, to beauty ornaments, clothing, hunting and fishing equipment, you will find it all there.

Since there is so so much to see, I’ll share with you some of my favorite parts👯.

There was so so much more to see in the two floors of the Museum. This is just a glimpse of what you will discover while at the museum.

House of Columns

I unfortunately didn’t visit the House of Columns due to time- we were heading out to Mambrui Sand Dunes on the same day. From what I’ve seen online, it appears to be that the House of Columns has been built to preserve a ‘strange’ fish named Coelacanth which was caught in Malindi in 2001. The building also has equipment and materials related to the fish. 🦈🐡.

Trip Budget

Because we are all about showing that it is possible to travel while on a budget😇, I am going to share with you the comprehensive budget for our 4 nights & 5 days trip to beautiful Malindi and Watamu tamu.

Together with my travel partner, our goal was to spend a maximum Ksh 10,000 each. We ended up spending approximately Ksh 11,500 each as we highly underestimated the transport costs we would incur for our activities😰. What this taught me is to ensure that I have some extra cash somewhere for such unexpected occurrences 📝. Now let’s get into the breakdown 🤑;

1. Two way SGR cost (for 2) – Ksh 4,000

2. Van cost from Mombasa to Malindi (for 2) – Ksh 2,000

3. 3 nights at Young Safari Hotel – Malindi (for 2) – Ksh 3,200

4. 1 night camping fee at Watamu Beach Cottages (for 2) – Ksh 3,219

5. Fee for all activities we did (for 2) – Ksh 2,100

6. Transport within Malindi and Watamu – Ksh 3,790

7. Guide fees + tips – Ksh 1,150

8. Water, snack and food highly depend on personal preferences and hotel/ kibandaski choice. For a 5 day trip, however, plan for approximately Kes 2,500 each. If you get a place offering self catering facilities then that will help cut the cost to almost Kes 1000 each📝.

How happy I am that you can now also explore Malindi and Watamu on a budget🤓🤓

We have now come to the end of the Malindi series🏝️. Sharing these adventures and places with you has been a very lovely experience and I hope that you have found value in each of the blog pieces🤗.

As per the usual, I’ll see you in two weeks as we explore a new kind of adventure; Hiking on a budget🧗. Thank you for reading 💖 and see you in two weeks💃.

Beach Camping🏕️- Watamu Beach Cottages 🏖️

Hey you🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget travel family❤️.

Searching for cheap accommodation in Watamu has to have been the hardest part of planning for the Malindi trip. If you’ve been to Watamu, you know very well that other than the 5 star hotels located on the beach front, there are hardly any other accomodation options available. However, to my luck and surprise, I found a perfect option on Airbnb💃.

The first surprising thing about the accommodation option was that it was a tent⛺. I wondered how hot it would get camping in the coast but because I needed a budget option I decided to just book it! For this, today I am going to share with you my experience camping in Watamu tamu.

Getting there

We started our journey to Watamu Cottages from Malindi. We took a matatu to Watamu and alighted at the T-junction leading to Turtle Bay. The fare for this journey should cost you 100/- pp and will take approximately 45 minutes📝. We then took a bodaboda from the junction to the Cottages at 100/- for two people.

Depending on where you are starting the journey from, you should head towards Watamu town, take the right turn at the Turtle Bay T-junction and head straight to Plot 38; it will be on your left.

The property itself

The first thing that I loved most was how green the place was🏝️. The property is covered by a lot of vegetation that provides a much needed cooling effect from the crazy hot coastal weather. For this reason, sleeping in the tent ended up being very comfortable as we were also provided with a well working fan🌬️🌀.

For a start, let’s walk into the Watamu Beach Cottage compound 💃;

How green and beautiful is this😍😍. You can already tell that you are on your way to paradise😜.

As we were led to the camping area, by the amazing host, we passed by the cooking area and the traditional kitchen🏚️ that is still under construction. The presence of a kitchen means that you are allowed to carry food stuffs and prepare meals for yourself 🍝. If you’ve been here long enough, you know that cooking your own meals is one of the best ways to cut costs📝.

The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, basic utensils, gas cooker and a sitting area under the many cool tress.

Once you pass the cooking area, you will enter into the Bamba Kofi⛺ area which is where the tents are. There are a total of 6 tents on the property and each of them has its own privacy as they are decently spaced.

All the tents have 2 single beds, an electric fan, extension cord, lamp, tissue, water, bathing soap and towels. There also are two plastic seats placed on the outside of the tent. 🏕️

The bathroom and toilet are shared with the other guests in the camping area but were always very clean✨. I thoroughly loved that it was an outdoor shower simply made of bamboo walls and no roof.

There also was this cute mirror outside the washroom.🤓

Now onto my favorite part of the stay🤩🤩 which was also a very pleasant surprise! When reading the property description I missed the fact that the white sandy beaches were directly accessible from the property. I knew there was a swimming pool but that’s the only thing I thought would be there!

The swimming pool area 🤽🏊. Can you see how the trees make it so much more beautiful and serene? 🏝️

The view point shade that provides an excellent view of the beach, ocean and sunrise 🌅☀️.

The path to and from the beach 🤩🤩. You see how the greenery adds to it’s beauty??🏝️

And finally the beach in her absolute glory🤩🏖️⛱️.

I also captured the beautiful sunrise in a video and thought it would be nice for you to enjoy it this cold season. I hope it adds sunshine to your day/night 😊.

Pricing and Booking

As mentioned at the beginning of the blog, I booked the Bamba Kofi tent via Airbnb. For one night and two people it cost us Ksh 3,219💰. This price was a little higher than my usual preference but is there any other place where you can get direct beach access at this price? I bet not.

You can also use this LINK to check out or book the Watamu Beach Cottage tents on Airbnb.

As we come to the end of this post, I have to say that I certainly thanked the heavens for leading me to the Watamu Beach Cottage Bamba Kofi tent because I had such a lovely time camping in Watamu tamu. Also, I hope that you have found value in this piece and that you will soon be visiting the Watamu Beach Cottages to experience camping in the coast💃.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we explore Vasco da Gama pillar; the last destination in Malindi series😎. Thank you for reading❤️ and see you soon👯.

Crab Shack Dabaso🍜 – Watamu 🌅

Hey you 🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget travel family❤️.

Picture walking down a mangrove walk board to be met with an extremely beautiful and scenic restaurant located on the shores of the Indian Ocean😍. Have you pictured this? If yes, then be ready to be mind blown because what I’m about to show will certainly surpass your imagination🤯. Today I share with you Crab Shark Dabaso, a restaurant in Watamu tamu😉 and a sustainability project affiliated to Mida Creek Watamu.

Location

The Crab Shark is located in beautiful Watamu, approximately 45 minutes away from the Watamu stage called Gede and a 30 minutes ride from Watamu Beach Cottages. A boda boda ride will cost you KES 100 pp while a taxi ride will cost you approximately KES 700.

If using private means, just type in Crab Shark on Google maps and you will be guided right to the restaurant. The directions are very accurate📍.

The Restaurant

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, the path leading to the restaurant space is a mangrove board walk😍. It is quite a beautiful walk as you will walk above water and if you are lucky you’ll spot a fish or two🐠.

Because words cannot describe this space well enough, let us take a look at the space;

Isn’t it magnificent 😻? The restaurant has so many beautiful sitting areas but I believe the best areas have to be the ones right beside to the ocean and with a view of the sunset🌅.

The view from the area we chose to sit at.

The Food

While searching for a restaurant to have our dinner at while in Watamu, Crab Shark came highly recommended. After having our meal there we totally understood why. The portions, customer service, ambience and good quality were all excellent and I can confirm that you should definitely consider visiting this restaurant while in Watamu🙌.

To give you an idea of the food and drinks option available to you when you visit, here is the Crab Shark menu;

*The Crab Shark menu as of November 2020.*

Just to add, I also loved how cute the straws provided at the restaurant are.

Canoe ride 🛶

To ensure that you have fully understood the Crab Shark experience, kindly plan to take the canoe ride and have a view of the Dabaso creek and the sunset. We unfortunately chose to have our meal first and therefore didn’t view the creek. For this reason, I would recommend that after making your food order, you can go for the canoe ride first then get back and have your candle lit dinner 😋.

A 1 hour canoe ride will cost KES 500 pp. It is best to begin the ride at about 5:15pm and kindly remember to wear water friendly shoes😎.

The canoe ride options available at Crab Shark,

And the restaurant view😍. (Pictures shared by our guide)

For dinner, a sunset canoe ride or both, I highly recommend Crab Shark Dabaso as it is very reasonably priced and offers value for money ✔️. I hope you have found value in this blog post and that you are looking forward to visiting and enjoying Crab Shark when you visit Watamu tamu next😉.

Because this is the last post of 2020🎊, I would also love to say thank to each and everyone of you for continually reading, sharing and making the budget travel journey extremely enjoyable for me👯.

As per the usual see you in two weeks as we discover and highly enjoy camping in Watamu tamu⛺. Thank you for reading 💃 and see you in two weeks❤️.

Marafa Hell’s Kitchen – Malindi🏝️

Hey you 😍. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget travel family❤️❤️.

Many years back, in the town of Marafa, there existed a very serious water problem. The problem was so severe that the water source closest to the residents of Marafa was about 30km away!

Among the Marafa resident’s was a white family that decided not to go get water but instead use milk as a substitute for water. They drank, bathed, washed, cooked and performed all their water-related activities using milk. Considering the rough conditions people were living in, their wastage of milk annoyed the people of Marafa and most importantly their god. Annoyed with the family, their god ‘swallowed’ them into the ground by causing a land slide in their residence. This particular land slide led to the formation of what we now know to be Marafa Hell’s Kitchen.

How magnificent and beautiful is the depression 😍😍. It resembles the Grand Canyon in US and is informally referred to as Kenya’s Grand Canyon😍

In the course of today’s blog, I will explain the reason for the three stone colors among other interesting stories as told by our guide.

Getting there

Hell’s kitchen is located in Marafa, a town approximately 45 minutes from Malindi Town.

If using public transport, you will board a matatu to Marafa at the stage🚌 located in Malindi old town’s market. The matatu will cost you KES 250📝. Remember to inform the conductor/ driver that you are going to Hell’s kitchen so that they can leave you at the correct stage. Once you alight, you can walk to the place or take a boda boda for KES 50🏍️.

If using private means, just type Hell’s Kitchen Marafa on Google maps and it will take you to the gate. The directions are 100% accurate.

This is the first view as you get into the compound. As you can see, it is possible to carry some snacks and indulge as you watch the sun set or just cool off.

Entry fees

The entry fee to Hell’s Kitchen is KES 200 pp for Kenyan adults, KES 100 for Kenyan’s under 18 and KES 500 for residents and foreigners.

To properly enjoy the tour, it is recommended that you get a guide. Getting a guide will cost you KES 500 for the whole group. That is if you are alone you will pay 500/- and if you are 20 people you will still pay 500/-.

I would recommend getting a guide because ours recommended perfeeect picture spots😍😍. You will also have fun listening to their many stories🤣

Things to note

Please visit Hell’s kitchen after 2:30pm. You ask why? The name suggests why🌡️. During mid day the place gets so hot, and by hot I mean the range of 50° hot🌋.

It is therefore highly recommended to visit later in the afternoon when the temperatures are a little lower for you to enjoy the experience fully 😎.

Remember to carry a bottle of water since you will really really need it💧.

The depression

Now that I’ve mentioned all the important things, let us explore the depression in different angles👯👯

Can we also take a moment and appreciate our talented photographer 😍😎.

There also is an interesting rock that apparently takes the shape of a different animal after every erosion episode caused by the rains. It currently resembles a Lion without a tail🦁. It previously resembled a rhinoceros🦏 .

Another advantage of having a guide is them showing you the view of the depression thorough this love ❤️ shaped hole on one of the larger rocks😍.

Remember the story of colors I had mentioned? The soil within the depression has three colors: yellow, white and red. It is said that the Red color represents the blood shed and the White represents milk.

Some of the very beautiful spots that have come to be as a result of rain.

And me having a rest because the depression is quite expansive.

Also note that because the depression is quite expansive you need to wear comfortable shoes. It will be an adventure of about 1 hour🧗.

Accomodation

While having a chat with our guide, after the tour, we mentioned that we were sad we couldn’t stay to watch the sun set since we had to go back to our accomodation in good time. He then told us that they offer accomodation at KES 1000 a night.

The room isn’t fancy or cozy but it does the job🛌😴

I really hope that I have done justice to this beautiful hidden gem and that you have found value in this piece and are looking forward to visiting😄.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we explore a beautiful restaurant set in the mangrove forests of Watamu tamu. Thank you for reading❤️ and see you soon 👯👯.

See you👯👯

Mambrui Sand Dunes 🏝️

Hey you🤩, thank you for coming back, and if you are new here welcome to our budget family❤️.

Before you think that the cover photo was taken in Dubai🤣 I need to mention that it was actually taken in Malindi. Beautiful Malindi😍.

Without wasting any more time, today I present to you the magnificent, tantalizing and breathtaking Mambrui Sand dunes🤯. I discovered these sand dunes from the stories of an amazing lady- RheenRuby– who shares her journey exploring East Africa on a budget. After seeing the dunes on her IG stories, I knew I had to go. Today, I will share with you the beautiful experience that I had in the hope that I’ll do this place justice.

Getting there

The Mambrui Sand dunes are located approximately 50 minutes away from Malindi town. To get there, it is best to use a tuk tuk or boda boda as the dunes are quite a distance from the main road📝.

The tuk tuk ride will cost you about KES 600 to and from. I say about because we paid our tuk tuk guy KES 1000 to take us around Malindi for the whole day. Budget loving Naomi did not feel any pain paying this amount because Gatheru was a very nice guide who also took perfect pictures🤩. If you wish to ride with him while in Malindi, you can reach him on 0717 824555.

The dunes

Two things I loved most are (i) the dunes are open to everyone with NO entry fees and (ii) we found the ocean to be just beside the dunes!! This was a pleasant surprise since I had not seen the ocean in any of the pictures I had seen. Considering how hot the place is that ocean breeze was such a relief 👯.

Now let us explore the dunes💃

The path leading to the dunes🤩. Because of how steep it is and how hot the sand was, our guide suggested that we use another route that passed through someone’s compound. Incase you are also unable to climb through this end, you can consider that option just make sure you inform the owner before passing through their property☺️.

The entry view from the new route we took🤩. How magnificent 😭🤩🤩

Picnicking

Because RheenRuby recommended picnics as one of the things one could do there, we made sure not to miss it! After enjoying the sand dunes for an hour or two🙈 we laid down our leso and had some snacks as we enjoyed the ocean view before us.

Taking a dip in the ocean was also highly recommended by Gatheru so remember to carry your swimming costumes📝. If you forget your custome, don’t be too worried since you can comfortably enjoy duff mpararo🤓.

Do you think I’ve done this magnificent spot justice? I do feel like I need to say more but also feel that the pictures have done all the talking 🙌. I also hope that you are as excited, as I am, to (re)visit and experience this unique, hidden and definitely underated site in #beautifulMalindi🤩.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we explore another hidden gem in Marafa – Malindi😍. Thank you for reading ❤️ and see you soon💃💃.

Young Safari Hotel 🏨 – Malindi🏝️

Hey you🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget family❤️❤️.

Today, I’m thoroughly excited to start a new series of blog posts highlighting a beautiful town in our country Kenya🇰🇪. To start us off, I will share with you a super budget stay in beautiful Malindi.🤩 When I first saw the place online I was worried by how cheap it was. Literally! After checking for reviews and doing my usual checks I decided to just book it because the reviews were so good and they also didn’t require any prior payment📝. Because I don’t think you can ever get such a stay for the price I paid, I had to share with you the budget friendly Young Safari Hotel.

Location

The hotel’s location was one of my favorite things about it. Located around Malindi CBD, the hotel gives you access to every amenity you may need. Supermarkets, markets, hotels, kibandaskis with good food🍝 and most importantly the beach🏝️. Because of it’s central location, the hotel also offers great access to the main sites in Malindi. It is a walking distance from Vasco da Gama Pillar and the Malindi Pier, a 45 minutes tuktuk ride to Mambrui Sand dunes and about 30 minutes ride to the Arabuko Sokoke forest.

*If you chose this stay, make sure to have your meals at this hotel just 3 minutes from the stay. They serve the best food😋 and tamar*ind juice🥤.

This Tamarind juice is the definition of perfection😋😋😋

Amenities

Before I get into this let me mention that the Young Safari Hotel is ideal for those who are not looking for anything fancy or luxurious. If a comfortable bed, clean bathroom & beddings and a peaceful quiet environment is what you need, then this is the place for you👯👯.

Because of this, our room simply had a bed, mosquito net, bathroom, balcony, TV and two chairs. We were also provided with sufficient clean towels, beddings, bathing soap and tissue paper throughout our three nights stay.

The bed was very very comfortable🤩 and the net came in handy because mosquitoes would come out to play every night😂,

The bathroom and a sink & mirror right outside it,

The TV and one of the chairs which acted as a table for our stuff😅,

And last but not least, the view from the balcony 😍😍.

Pricing and Booking

The price for three nights, for two, was Ksh 3200. Haha! I know. It is such a good good deal. For a night we literally paid 534 shillings each! Can you get any deal that beats that? Please let me know 😆.

We made our booking on Agoda and you can book your stay HERE -it was the Budget double room📝. However, because December is a touristy month, the prices are expected to hike significantly.

To book directly with the host, you can reach them on 0711 445561☎️.

Are you my budget queens and kings ready to enjoy this stay? I hope you will consider the Young Safari Hotel when you visit beautiful Malindi😍😍. As per the usual, see you next week as we explore a hidden gem in Mambrui-Malindi👯👯.

Thank you for reading ❤️ and see you soon💃💃.

Lord Egerton Castle🏰

Hey you🤩. Thank you for coming back, and if you are new here, welcome to our budget family❤️.

In 1938, an excited Lord Maurice Egerton invited his long time crush to see the beautiful two bedroom house he had built for them to live and love in as a married couple💏. The long time crush, a royal princess, told him no. There is no way she would live in a house the size of the kennel in her father’s house.

Determined to win her heart, Lord Maurice decided to build her the castle she desired. After sixteen* years of building and perfection he invited her back to see the magnificent castle specially built for her🏰. Again, she rejected the proposal saying she couldn’t live in a house the size of her father’s horse stable. This heartbreaking event caused Lord Maurice to develop a deep hate towards women😠. The hate was so deep he didn’t allow any female servants in his castle. He even instructed that no woman should teach or study at the Egerton University after it started operating. Severe chest pains!

Sixty six years later the castle still stands as magnificent as it did when he first built it for the love of his life. Today I present to you the magnificent Lord Egerton Castle.

Location

The Lord Egerton Castle is located in Nakuru county, a 50/- matatu ride from Nakuru CBD. If you are using public transport, board a matatu heading to Ngata at Nakuru Odeon stage and alight at Ngata gate. Once you alight you can walk to the castle grounds or take a boda boda for 50/-.

If you stay at the Pilgrim’s getaway, as we did, the Lord Egerton Castle will be an eight minutes walk from your stay

Here is a visual presentation of how close the two places are. See the sign board at the back that’s Lord Egerton Castle. The gate to the castle is just 20 steps from that sign board 👯👯.

Entry fees

The entry fee to the castle, for Kenyan citizens, is Ksh 150/- for adults and 75/- for children in Primary school. Below is a comprehensive entry fee list for Kenyan citizens, residents and non-residents.

Right from the gate, the compound is really beautiful. There also are reminders to keep the castle clean and to respect the flowers and tress.

Let us now explore the beautiful castle 👯.

The view of the grounds from the castle’s main door 🤩

The Castle’s main door 🤩. All the doors at the castle are beautiful. Look at these ones too 👇👇

Now we see the big and spacious ballroom that had fully installed music instruments.

The lounge or waiting area that is now used as a small canteen.

Some of the bathroom features in the castle. The castle has about seven bathrooms in total. Each of them has a bathtub and modern toilet.

A combination of the kitchen, laundry area and dryer. Can you guess how and where the clothes were dried from these pictures?🤓

And what was meant to be the princess’s and their child(ren)’s room.

Because I need to save some aspects of the castle for your viewing when you actually visit, I will end the tour of the castle’s interior at that😎. However, here are some views from the roof top🤩

Notice how well maintained and green the castle still is?

The well manicured castle grounds are ideal for picnics, simple games and team building activities. When you go, remember to carry your maaasai shuka, some snacks and a ball or two💃. The castle also has some benches and swings installed for you to sit and relax on as you take in the view.

Considering that there is so much more to see and enjoy, are you now looking forward to visiting the Lord Egerton Castle? I hope you are! Personally, I must go back to enjoy a picnic and afternoon nap on the well maintained compound😝.

As per the usual, see you in two weeks as we stay in a budget accomodation in beautiful Malindi 🤗. Thank you for reading 💃 and see you soon ❤️❤️.

Wait! Before you leave, here is a video beautifully done by my bestie and travel buddy for the Nakuru trip👯. Enjoy: https://youtu.be/AFH6NpZPVhA